Emperor Haile Selassie proclaimed Ethiopia’s Revised Constitution on the 25th anniversary of his coronation. It aimed to present Ethiopia as modernizing while keeping strong imperial authority at the center. The constitution set the framework for later reforms by defining new institutions and procedures in law.
The 1955 constitution confirmed a two-chamber Imperial Parliament: a Chamber of Deputies and a Senate. It also set rules for parliamentary sessions and anticipated elections for the Chamber of Deputies under an electoral law. In practice, the system expanded formal governance structures but did not make the emperor politically accountable to parliament.
A new Penal Code was issued in 1957 (Proclamation No. 158 of 1957), reflecting an effort to standardize criminal law within a modern state framework. This legal reform complemented constitutional changes by strengthening centralized rule through written statutes and courts. It also illustrates how “reform” often focused on administration and law rather than broad political opening.
Ethiopia held its first-ever elections for the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of parliament, in September 1957. All seats were won by independents, and the Senate remained appointed by the emperor. The elections signaled a limited move toward representative institutions, even as political competition remained constrained.
In May 1960, Ethiopia issued a proclamation for a comprehensive Civil Code, noting parliamentary approval and setting an effective date later in 1960. The code was intended to update rules for property, contracts, family matters, and other civil issues as part of a modern legal system. This was a major state-building reform, even though political power remained concentrated in the monarchy.
While Haile Selassie was abroad, senior figures tied to the Imperial Guard attempted a coup in Addis Ababa. The plotters proclaimed Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen as emperor and promised a more progressive government, but loyalist forces retook control after several days of fighting. The failed coup exposed deep dissatisfaction among parts of the elite and helped intensify pressure for further reform.
Africa Hall, a major international conference venue, was officially inaugurated by Haile Selassie in 1961. The building strengthened Addis Ababa’s role as a diplomatic center. It later became closely associated with pan-African institutions and high-level summits hosted in Ethiopia.
General elections were held again in 1961 to choose members of the Chamber of Deputies, with more seats than in 1957. Political parties were banned, so candidates ran as independents, limiting organized opposition and policy competition. The election pattern showed how constitutional forms existed without creating a fully competitive political system.
In 1962, the University College of Addis Ababa was renamed Haile Selassie I University (later Addis Ababa University). Expanding higher education supported the state’s modernization goals and produced a larger educated public. This also contributed to stronger student activism, which became increasingly important in Ethiopian politics in the 1960s.
On November 14, 1962, Ethiopia’s parliament and the Eritrean Assembly voted to end Eritrea’s federal status, making Eritrea a province of the Ethiopian empire. This decision marked a major shift from the earlier UN-backed federation arrangement. It intensified political conflict and is widely treated as a key step toward the long Eritrean independence struggle.
On May 25, 1963, African states founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in Addis Ababa, with its headquarters there. Haile Selassie played a leading role in hosting and shaping the summit. International prominence for Ethiopia grew alongside domestic debates about how much political reform was truly happening at home.
By the mid-1960s, the 1955 constitution had expanded formal institutions—parliamentary procedures, elections, and modern legal codes—without shifting ultimate authority away from the emperor. The 1960 coup attempt and the 1962 Eritrea annexation revealed rising internal tensions and growing demands for deeper change. These outcomes set the stage for stronger opposition movements later in the imperial period.
Haile Selassie's 1955 Constitution and subsequent political reforms (1955-1965)